Are Ranks of Shooters Growing or Shrinking?

[Bottom Fodder]

Well the way thangs are going with hard to find supplies do you think more are joining shooting competitions or leaving

 

[DirtySteve]

I say stay the same of a slight increase... But I am not smart..

 

[rebs]

at our local club some have dropped out because of component supplies being so low

 

[Downeast]

People are buying firearms but doing very little shooting, if that makes sense. Personally I try to get as much data from each round as I can. I'm using my chrono more and more. If your going to send a round downrange, you might as well record a velocity and ambient conditions.

Two of my friends just bought rifles and want to shoot. They do not reload and with hardware and components at an all time high and mostly unavailable I doubt they will. With quality ammo going from $40- $50 for 20 rounds it may be a short time hobby.

 

[dantiff2]

I've had to quit 90% of my shooting. I know a couple other guys that have told me they are in the same boat. I've since run out of all my 25$ cases of primers and now I'm using new ones that have cost me anywhere from 79$/1000 to 100$/1000. I now shoot PCP air guns daily. I just cannot afford to buy premium Berger bullets and then primers, plus match fee's and factor in barrel wear. Something had to give. The grocery bill has taken up all the funds that used to be available ; )
Dan

 

[dgeesaman]

Well the way thangs are going with hard to find supplies do you think more are joining shooting competitions or leaving

People are moving around.

There are more new airgunners and rimfire shooters in the last couple of years.

There are a ton of new households owning guns since 2020. They barely got ammo and I’m sure many of them are scooping up what’s finally becoming available.

I think the amount of centerfire shooting in total is stable but spread among more shooters.

 

[JMayo]

Ibs vfs is growing .... The supplies for the calibers we shoot is becoming more findable.

 

[Downeast]

I have a few pellet rifles and .22's but they just don't interest me. Right now I have enough rifle primers to last 5-7 years at my going rate. There are no decent clubs in my area, and the few that are within an hour or two driving distance all have looooong waiting lists. I wonder when their names come up and they get hit with a multi-hundred dollar membership fee whether they decide to actually join or not? Kind of silly to spend that money with little or no ammo.
I agree with @dgeesaman that the overall number of CF shooters is presently stable but spread out among various shooters. PRS style rifles and that style of shooting are very popular while F and BR seem to be in decline. Some have no problem purchasing match grade ammo and shooting a match. It's about the same as a round of golf at a nice course.

 

[coldboreshot]

I find myself compensating/practicing more with my 22lr match prone rifle and saving centerfire components for important matches, aside from testing/load developing new barrels.

 

[JB10]

I have stocked up on supplies but cut way way back on shooting. When i do go to the range i have noticed this year way less amount of people. Last year range was packed and no one was caring how much they shot. Floor was flooded with brass.

 

[AccelR8]

While it has nothing to do with the availability of supplies, based on my experience of participating in my first ever bench rest match (factory rifle class), that community needs to do a MUCH better job of welcoming new competitors. I know I won’t be back.

 

[K22]

Both of the clubs I belong to do not have rifle competition matches.

Both have handgun competition. Defensive pistol match participation and interest is on the rise in both clubs. Precision pistol (bullseye) is declining, rapidly especially among new shooters.

I am at the rifle range about 2 to 3 days a week (except weekends) depending on weather. Most of the rifle activity I see is AR type shooting in sustained fire, lots of noise, not much in the way of precise results on target. Precision shooting seems to be declining, especially with bolt rifles.

Rimfire seem to be increasing in activity. Good rimfire ammo is readily available and quality rifles are available and reasonably priced. This may save the sport in my area. After about a 30-year hiatus, I even reentered this world and bought a new Tikka T1X which so far is proving to be a great move.

Except for "blasting ammo" purchased in bulk, the price of quality factory ammo is staggering, and supplies are limited. While the price of reloading components is also staggering, I have seen some increase in supplies.

Many older shooters and hunters I knew have passed on or are no longer physically able to engage in either activity. Some have dropped out due to the cost of the sport has become prohibitive.

As someone else mentioned, I have seen an increase in new shooters and the associated purchase of more firearms as evidenced by the safety orientations for new member I have seen at both clubs. However, I have not observed any increase in range use / shooting activity.

 

[AndrewB]

AccelR8, do not let that experience dissuade you from shooting matches. Don't know what happened there for you, but it is far from the norm. Most bench rest matches I have been to, people are very friendly and very willing to help a new guy. I have shot hundreds of pistol and rifle matches and have made life long friends doing so. It is very, very rare that I have met anyone in the shooting sports that has been a jerk. Most will bend over backwards to help you.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

Both of the clubs I belong to do not have rifle competition matches.

Both have handgun competition. Defensive pistol match participation and interest is on the rise in both clubs. Precision pistol (bullseye) is declining, rapidly especially among new shooters.

I am at the rifle range about 2 to 3 days a week (except weekends) depending on weather. Most of the rifle activity I see is AR type shooting in sustained fire, lots of noise, not much in the way of precise results on target. Precision shooting seems to be declining, especially with bolt rifles.

Rimfire seem to be increasing in activity. Good rimfire ammo is readily available and quality rifles are available and reasonably priced. This may save the sport in my area. After about a 30-year hiatus, I even reentered this world and bought a new Tikka T1X which so far is proving to be a great move.

Except for "blasting ammo" purchased in bulk, the price of quality factory ammo is staggering, and supplies are limited. While the price of reloading components is also staggering, I have seen some increase in supplies.

Many older shooters and hunters I knew have passed on or are no longer physically able to engage in either activity. Some have dropped out due to the cost of the sport has become prohibitive.

As someone else mentioned, I have seen an increase in new shooters and the associated purchase of more firearms as evidenced by the safety orientations for new member I have seen at both clubs. However, I have not observed any increase in range use / shooting activity.

That’s what I‘m seeing more flash and blast with black guns, not seeing young shooter learning about slow fire accurate shooting

 

[Greyfox]

I am president of a club in Middle TN that currently has around 600 members. About five years ago we relocated from a TVA property at their request to property that we own. We have two monthly rimfire match, sometimes three, three pistol matches and one centerfire benchrest match. Membership is not required to participate in matches. Our matches are growing in attendance, slowly but growing. I do all the new member orientations, so I get a feel for growth and where new members come from. Many are relocating from NY, IL and CA. Others are local who are finding about us. At the old location we had a cap on membership and a long waiting list. We no longer have a waiting list and are adding 1-3 new members per week. Conclusion, we are gaining in both membership and participation.

Rick Fox
MTSA

 

[rwj]

I’m seeing very few shooters on the firing line. Many times I’m by myself. Not that long ago the benches were nearly always full.

 

[Kurz]

While it has nothing to do with the availability of supplies, based on my experience of participating in my first ever bench rest match (factory rifle class), that community needs to do a MUCH better job of welcoming new competitors. I know I won’t be back.

I'm sorry you had such an awful experience. Bad day at Black Rock.

For all the benchrest matches I've shot for years, each one has been chock full of the best folks, helpful friendly, funny, folks busy being concerned about how much fun I was having. Many are now good friends. I still look forward to being able to attend as many as I can when I have the time.

Maybe switch venues and try once more...

 

[J.d. Popkes]

What’s the average age of the people on this forum? It’s a generational thing. It’s also a thing that old retired guys have time/money. On the rare occasion I shoot at a “club”, or “range”, it’s 10:1 older guys. Older guys don’t last forever. I think younger ones shoot other places than benchrest or f-class. Just an observation from being on here.

 

[Kurz]

I think younger ones shoot other places than benchrest or f-class. Just an observation from being on here.

That's quite possible.

When I RO at a PRS match, the number of younger folks is higher than when I shoot benchrest.

 

[TaperPin]

Ranges are like restaurants or bars - good people and good value make for a popular spot, and the market is fickle with popularity going up and down.

Each town seems to have a gun club with a different feel. Coming from a town of active shooters and well run range with all kinds of silhouette and long range shooting, I was convinced silhouette would storm the nation with kids and adults and become an Olympic sport. Lol

With age and experience, few towns have good gun clubs and even fewer still have a good number of wives and kids involved. I see the shooting sports dwindling - tick toc videos eating tide pods and video games are more fun apparently.